Internal-combustion engine.



T. A. LEAVITT. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1910.

nvent r;

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

tnesses Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. LEAVITT, OF SUTTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. LEAVITT, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Sutton, in the county of Braxton and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Internal- Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines of that type in which an explosion takes place alternately upon opposite sides of a piston reciprocating in a cylinder.

The invention relates more particularly to a device for igniting the charge in the engine cylinder, and it has for its object to provide an ignition device embodying certain novel features of construction to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that theinvention may be better understood. reference is had to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 1s a side elevation, largely diagrannnatic, showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the engine cylinder partly broken away, showing the parts of the ignition device located within the cylinder.

In the drawing, 5 denotes the engine cylinder, the same being supported on a suitable base 6. In the cylinder reciprocates a piston 7 connected by a rod 7 to a cross head 8 sliding in cross head guides 9, and connected by a rod 10 to a crank 11 on the engine shaft 12, said shaft being provided with a fly wheel 13. Adjacent to each end of the cylinder is mounted an ignition de vice. Each of saiddevices comprisesa stationary electrode 14, and a rocking electrode 15, the latter having a laterally extending finger 16, which is adapted to come in con tact with the stationary electrode, and to produce a spark when it is withdrawn. The finger, and the part of the electrode 14 which it engages, are located in the cylinder. The two electrodes are carried by a plate 17 bolted to the cylinder wall, and

they pass through openings in said wall.

said openings being lined with a bushing of insulating material. 011 the outside of the cylinder, the electrodes have laterally extending arms between which is located a coiled spring 18. The arm of the electrode 14 is indicated at 19, and the arm of the electrode 15, at 20. The springs are also insulated from the arms 19 and 20. The spring 18 is -'opnfined between these two arms, and its function is to normally hold Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an; 3,191 Application filed March as, 1910. Serial No. 552,016.

the same spread apart. The electrode stationary as already stated. The spring-.

being confined between the two arms,,tends to swing the arm 20 111 such a direction as to disenga e the finger 16 from the contact point 0? the electrode 14. This is the nor mal position of the two electrodes. To produce the spark, the finger 16 is brought in contactwith the point of the electrode 14, whereupon an electric circuit is closed, and

upon withdrawing the finger 16, a spark is made. a p

The following means are provided for rocking the electrode 15 to bring the finger in contact with the point of the electrode 14, and to withdraw the same. In bearin 21 on the engine frame, is mounted t0Sl1 e in the direction of its length, a-rod 22. One

end of this rod carries a head 23 having on one side a recess 24 in which works a wiper or cam 25 mounted on the engine shaft 12.

The head has a slot 26 through which the engine shaft passes. The cam 25 working in the recess 24, reciprocates the rod 22. Secured to the opposite end of the rod, by a suitable clamp 27 is a stem 28, which is. slidabl T mounted in bearings 29 carried by the cylinder 5. These bearings are provided with insulating bushings 30, so that the stern wvill be insulated from the engine frame. The clamp 27 is also insulated. from the stem. The stem 28 extends parallel to the rod 22, and as it is fastened thereto, it re.- f

ciprocates with said rod. The stem is loaf cated between the arms 20 of the ro king,

electrodes, and is adapted toenga-gelth'e,

same alternately.

At 31 is indicated a a cal yig af batter or other source of electrical energy one pole of which is connected by a conductor 32 to the stem 28. The other pole is connected to a spark coil 33, from which ex+ tends a conductor 34 having branches 35 and 36 which are connected respectively to the stationary electrodes 14.

In operation, when the engine is in mo-- tion, the stem 28 is reciprocating between the arms 20 of the rocking electrodes, one end of the stem striking one of said armson one stroke of the engine, and the oppdsite end of the rod striking the other arm on the next stroke. A spark is thus produced alternately on opposite sides of the piston 7. When the end of the stem strikes the arm 20, the electrode 15 is rocked in a direction to bring the finger 16 in contact with the sta- "'10 stem 2-8 engages the arm to make 'a con .20 shaft 12 as the crank 11,so that the ignition tionary: se t-re eem; whereupon the electric circuit is closed. This circuit may be traced as follows: from one poleof thebattery or other source ofelectrical'energy 31 through 5 the spark coil, and by the conductor 34, and one of its branches to the stationary electrode, and then to the rockingelectrode and to the stem 28, and by the way of the conductor 32 to the other pole of the battery, 3 When the met between the electrodes, the spring 18 isgcompressed, and when the stem moves awaygfromtsaid arm,the spring expands f and'swing's the armdn'a direction to separate 1 5 the-"electrodes to produce the spark, the spark being produced when the finger-16 leaves the contact point ofthe stationary I electrode. It will be notedthatthe camexten s from the sameiside of the engine wi-ll take place 'at the proper time,- during the piston travel. The. spark may be advanced or retarded by changing the position ofthef cam relative to the crank; 25 Between the bearings 21, therod 22 car-- ries a colla'n37, on opposite sides of which are located coiled spr1ngs 38, said springs at one of their ends abutting against the "collar,- and at their opposite ends against the bearings, these springs being provided for a purpose which-will now be described.

I Referring to "Fig-: 1 of the drawing itwill be noted that the opposite walls of the recess {icome to a point 39,]said walls being incl if n d in opposite directions from the 'pointg" "The engagement of the extremity of the camwith theepoint limits the extent of v,,the travel of the rod 22 and the stem' 28.

' Fig. 1 shows the extremity ofithe cam en- 40 gaging the point, and it has therefore moved the rod and the stem 'to the end of its forward movement, the stem 28 hav- ,ing engaged the arm 20 of the rocking electrode at the left hand end of the cylinder. During this movement of the rod 22, one

of-the'spring'si38 has been compressed, so

that when the cam slips off the point, the rod will be returned by the expansion of said spring, thus withdrawing the stem from I inder 5 alterr ately upon opposite sides of;

the piston. The means whereby: this is effected forms no part of the present invention, and need therefore not be described.

' What is claimed is L .In an ignition device for internal .combustion engines of the double-acting type, the 'combination with the engine cylinder, ofa pair .of stationary and rocking electrodes carried by the cylinder on opposite sides of the piston, arms projecting from the electrodes on the outside of the cylinder, yielding means interposed between the arms for normally holding the points of the electrodes separated, a rod mounted for re- .ciprocatory movement, means carried by the rod and engageable alternately with the arms ofthe rocking electrodes for rocking the same to-brin their points in contact with the points of the stationary electrodes, a head carried by the rodand having a slot through which the engine shaft passes, and a recess on one side, a cam on the engine shaft working in the said recess, the opposite walls of the recess being brought to a mint and inclined in opposite directions, rom said points, and the cam working between the points, and resilient means opposing the movement of the rod in both directions.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing .as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. LEAVITT. Witnesses: vv M. B. Janis, J. E. BAUGHMAN. 

